Participants will be evaluated on their tendency to choose larger or smaller portions of a variety of meal items on a computer screen. This will be conducted both following sleep deprivation and sleep, and changes over the hour will be compared between these conditions.

Participants will have their circulating hormone levels taken and analyzed, including ghrelin and oxytocin, to determine if sleep deprivation alters hormone levels related primarily to obesity or weight gain

Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE

Same as current

Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE

Not Provided

Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE

Not Provided

Descriptive Information

Brief Title ICMJE

Sleep Deprivation's Regulation of Immune System Function and Behavior

Official Title ICMJE

The Role of Sleep Deprivation in the Regulation of Immune System, Neuroendocrine Responses, and Behavioral Measures.

Brief Summary

The study proposes to investigate whether sleep deprivation will affect a variety of measures, including hormones, immune system functioning, and behaviors related to food intake and hunger. It is predicted that sleep deprivation will affect circulating neutrophil activity, and do so via affects on DNA methylation. It is also predicted that sleep deprivation will up-regulate ghrelin, and down-regulate circulating oxytocin. Finally, it is predicted that sleep deprivation will increase participants' tendencies to pick larger portions of food, and also increase their tendency to purchase foods that are more caloric in a mock supermarket scenario.

After a night of wakefulness, participants performed the neuroeconomics task (shopping food items in a mock supermarket scenario).

Behavioral: Portion Size Task

Participants are given a computer program that gives them the opportunity to choose the portions of a variety of food items that they would ideally like to consume

Procedure: Blood sample

After a night of wakefulness, a blood sample was taken to assess the level and efficacy of circulating neutrophils, as well as to assay blood serum and plasma for the presence of hormones involved in hunger such as oxytocin and ghrelin

Study Arms

Experimental: Sleep deprivation

Total sleep deprivation: participants were required to stay up for the entire night before a 'Blood Sample' was taken and the 'Neuroeconomics task' and 'Portion size task' were performed

Interventions:

Behavioral: Neuroeconomics task

Behavioral: Portion Size Task

Procedure: Blood sample

Experimental: Sleep

Sleep: participants had an 8-h sleep opportunity before a 'Blood Sample' was taken and the 'Neuroeconomics task' and 'Portion size task' were performed